Stan Kenton: Malagueña

Posted January 19, 2011

During the 1950s and 60s, jazz composers and arrangers began experimenting with and incorporating Spanish and Latin-influenced musical forms and rhythms into their charts. One of these notable innovators was Stan Kenton. Calling his music “progressive jazz”, Kenton wanted to break away from the mold of traditional dance bands of the time and create a “concert orchestra” that played unique and experimental works. His arrangement of Ernesto Lecuona’s tune Malagueña stands as one of his most popular arrangements. It’s been played and re-arranged by a wide number of great jazz artists like Maynard Ferguson, Art Pepper and Short Rodgers. Kenton’s Malagueña is also a favorite showstopper for marching bands and drum corps. In fact, an arrangement of Kenton’s chart was featured as the closing number in the Broadway show Blast!, a show that featured a drum and bugle corps that marched and performed on stage!

Music Heard On This Episode

Stan Kenton (1911-1979): Malagueña

Stan Kenton and His Ochestra — The Best of Stan Kenton(Blue Note Records, 1995)

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